Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-06-01
METALLIC FREAKS.
Eucer Forms Assumed by Molten Sifvsz
Dropped on Cold Slabs.


Ofppptt On OOtO SAAoSs
IChicago Herald
Ten years ago stood in the big Califor.
nia stamp mil at Virginia City, New,
watching the sixty pouderous 250pound
weights laundering on the quartz. Tho
/ I'D was being stirred in the great pans;
the faiiings were going out down ffume
like mill race. AT each settling pan was
large canvas bag held in a vise-like grip.
was invited to thrust my hand into one
Of them. did so, and brought up great
handful CT something that was heavy and
as elusive as quicksand
''That," said Senator Fair, then superin-
tendent of the Big Bonanza mine, "is
amalSGm-quicksilvcr and gold and silvers
We put that in red hot retorts. The quick.
silver passes of in vapor, is caught and
precipitated, and the bullion comes out i'm
a blackened but solid mass. Now come
down to the refining room and Pll show
you something. Dye ever see how silver
spreads when you drop it. i can't do this
Us well as I'd Ike to, for there's too much
gold; this stuff runs forty-fve per cent?
gold, and it's too heavy to work as I'd like
it.n
Senator Fair led the way to room in
brick building adjacent, where two great
caldrons were boiling and bubbling,
There's half million in each of those"
said Mr.. Fair. Johnny, clear this iron
table, and get me two blocks of ice"
The ice was brought, and the blocks
was placed a foot apart on the iron bed.
When all was chilled Mr.. Fair said:
Give me titty-ounce ladle." The lat
ter was dipped into one of the caldrons
and came up with pint of white, molten
duid. ''Now, watch" said Mr.. Fair He
held it up as high as hls arms would
reach, and dropped it on the cold slab
hn fssal-n Of 10 "a
in splatches of little more than table,
spoonful each. The effect was marvel
ops. As the liquid silver and gold
tell its weight scattered it into ten
thousand conceivable shapes, and
the cold chill 50 suddenly applied con-
gealed il into hundred thousand incon-
ccivablc shapes in an instant There were
| splatters and sp}atches, and all sorts OF
things. Where single drop would fall it
would expand 10 either q coach wheel or a
cobweb, as the freak would take it. If Mr.
Fair dropped spoonful next the cake OF
| ice the spiasheS would rise, catch onto the
ice, and make perfect little wire forest
| Ii was one of the most beautiful sights tho
writer had ever seen
Jewellers and silversmiths,n said Mr.
Fair, ''gct good many of their ideas from
| just such ir;iosyncracies of silver bullion.
| have held it up before now, dropped il,
and seen come out the oldest and most
surprising forms. Lon Hamilton, Jones'
brotheT-in-law, has complete coach and
four ana hounds behind-the re-
suit of just one splash on cake
of ice down at tho Belcher.
Odd things in silveri Oh the silver
smiths are moro perfect than we are but
I'll bet can hold this laGle up, drop tho
whole Of it on this cold slab, and you will
see variety Of forms, devices and gro-
tosQueries such as you never dreamed of. j.
| Johnny, give me a fresh ladle. Now,
stand away. Here she goes! - and o pint
of molten silver went out on the caliron.
Ten thousand shapes and i'll shapes, and
ten other thousand other forms wero
| there. There were forests and streams,
and buds AMI reptiles, ana rocks and
mountains. TO have picked cut all would
| have been a weeks task.
"Chuck it back iuto the pan," said Mr..
| Fair. Give me another ladle. Now watch
| this!" .
Down 1t went on the cold slab. There
were elephants and giraffes, and lions and
dogs, and African bungalows, and on one
splatch marching regiment could have
been made out hy but trifling stretch OF
the Imagination.